Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1887-04-15
LANSING LETTER.
The Capital Punishment Bill Passed.
Resume Of Important Legislation.

has passed the house. IL provides that
every person who shall hereafter be con
ylcted of the crime of murder in the iirst
deg ee shall surer death il the jury before
whom such person shall he tried so recon-
mend in their verdict but If the jury do
not so recommend, such convict shall be
punished by Imprisonment In the state
prison for life Provided That should any
person plead guilty Of the crime of murder
IN the first degree. sentence Of death or OF
Imprisonment for life may be made in the
discretion Of the court. Sec. 2. " hen any
convict shal be sentenced TO the punish
ment OF death, the presiding Judge OF the
court at which said conviction shall have
taken place, shall appoint the day on
which such sentence shall be executed,
which shall not be less than six months
and not more than year from the date
OF sentence.
Other material provisions of the bill are
that the punishment OF death shall IN every
case Ice inflicted 10y hanging the convict
by the neck until he or she is dead, the
sentence 10 be executed within the walls
of the Jail of the county in which the con
viction was had. or within the incosed
yard Of such jail ] he sheriff shall be pres
ent at the execution, unless prevented by
sickness or other casualty, and also two of
ms deputies, 10 bo designated by him. and
he shall re luest the presence If the prose
cutting attorney. clerk of the court. and
twelve respectable citizens. Including IA
physician or surgeon; and he shall permit
q counsel OF the convict and such min
listers of the gospel a the convict shall de-
sire. to be present ana also ruch officers of
the iall. deputies and constahles military
guard or other assistant "a he shall see fit
The house committee on labor interests
ha' reported substitute for the convict
labor bill originally introduced by Mr.
Ogg. The substitute provides that prls
oners shall be employed upon the account
OF the state upon hard labor only such
chinery 20 he ed as can be operated
10y hand or foot and only such prisoners
,et at wOrK a. hall lie tnown To the prison
officials 70 be physically able. Ten hours
is fixed Tor day work There is to he
no renewal of existing contra Is for the
labor of convictS, and all new contracts
are prohibited. Tie bill appropriates SO
0Dl 10 enable the Jack prison TO begin
this kind OF workanext year.
Gov. Luce says he will not appoint an
ad utant general until al ont April b.
There are sore OF applicants among the
number Don G. Henderson OF AlleSan.
The senate has confirmed tie appoint.
mcut OF Mrs Mary r.. Cooley. wife Of
Ihoma, NJ. Cooley, as a member OF the
TOO Ri of trustees OF the state Industrial
school for Girls at Adrian.
The house has passed the bill for the con.
fin mont of convicts guilty OF first ohenses,
punishable ~ sentences to the state pri,-
on, 20 the Detroit house of correction.
The governor ha- approved the follow
ing bi l.. Regu iring the Judge, Of probate
to give notice 20 foreign cOnSul- OF an ap-
pllcation Tor administration IN the estate
of deceased persons amend NJ session
laws OF ls4H. relative 20 raising money by
township boards. relative 10 lower, and
duties township, TO amend, revise and
consolidate the laws ORGANIZING asylums
for the IN ane. ana re -ulatIng tue care and
mana cement thereof and the inmates
therein. 90 enable the state agricultural
society to permanently locate the place Of
ho,din. its annual fair, to facilitate the
comm 'nCement Of suits IN justice courts
again~t .oint defendants. one or more of
whom shall not reside IN or be found in
the county where the suit shall lie brought.
The bill 20 amend sections G23l-32 How
ell : statutes. in re erence 10 divorce, and
to add three new sections thereto. caused
con. siderable discussion in the house the
other afternoon Mr. Harrington, who
introduced the bill, explained the evils
arising from the facility with which Iii
VOrces are procured in Michigan. The
ct that conductors on reaching Chicago
cry out twenty minutes for divorces
applied more strikin-ly 10 Michigan than
to Illinois Many people come from adj
Joining states 10 Michigan t. avail them
selves Of tie easy divorce laws of this
state This was deMoralizing 10 the PEG
pie OF Michigan, Mr. Harrington said that
in Wayne county there was annually one
divorce to every six marriages or one dl-
vorce 20 every 60 inhabitants. In Kent
county annually one divorce to every four
and wo-tenthS marriages; in Oakland
county an average of nearly forty three
applications for divorces each year. the
average number OF marriages being 80
each year, or one Application for divorce
to every seventy tive marriages. He
showed that in Illinois one years resi-
dence was required; New Jersey three
years, Maryland two years. Massachusetts
two years Tennessee two years: New
ork accepted no jurisdiction whore the
cause arose outside of the state.
Several amendments were proposed, all
of which were rejected, and the bill was
un lnimously passed. As passed the bill
reads as follows
SEC. 9. No divorce shall lie granted un
esS the party exhibiting the petition or
oil of complaint therefor shall have resided
in this state one year Immediately proceed
ing the time of exhibiting such petition or
hill. or unless the marriage was sOlemnizei
n this state, and the comp ainant shall
awe resided in this state from the time Of
such marriage TO the time of exhibiting
the petition or bill and when tn. cause
for divorce occurred out of this state, no
divorce shall he granted unless the com
plainant or defendant shall have resided
within this state two years next preceding
the filing o. the petition or bill. and no
proofs or testimony shall be taken in
cause until six months after the filing of
such petition or bill for divorce, except
where the cause for divorce Is desertion or
when the testimony is taken condtionally
or for the purpose OF perpetuating such
testimony"
Sec To- No divorce shall be decreei in
any case when il shall appear that the pc
tItion or bill therefore was founded in or
exhibited by collision between the parties;
and the oath or affirmation administered
t. the complainant in swearing to such
petition or bill shall, in addition to all
other legal requirements, recite the follow
ing: "And YOU do solemnly swear (or af
firm that there j. no collision understand
ing or agreement whatever between your
self and the defendant herein. in your APP
plication for divorce" And no divorce
shall lie decreed in any case where the
party complaining shall be guilty OF the
same crime or misconduct charged against
the respondent. I.
Sec ~. In all suits for divorce, IL any OF
the testimony in the case l. taken before q
circuit court commissioners, or by stipula-
ton before any other officer, it shall lie the
duty Of such commissioner or other officer,
to ask OF each and every witness sworn by
and before him in such cause the following